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Vol. 9
No. 7
YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER - LANARK, NORTH LEEDS & GRENVILLE
JULY 2022
Stewart Park Festival boasts impressive line-up
Photo credit: downtownperthbia.ca.
Perth - Brian Turner editorial@pdgmedia.ca The legendary Stewart Park Festival is set to amaze, entertain, and engage audiences once again in beautiful Heritage Perth from July 1517. In this season of rebirth of live music festivals, our
region is literally awash in opportunities for audiences to sample music of almost every genre. But few, if any, of even the best of our artistic cavalcades can match what Stewart Park Festival can do for the soul, hungry for live voices and instruments.
First, you’ll be in Perth, Ontario, a picturesque and thriving community surrounded by the best natural beauty and abundance of waterways and lakes that is Lanark County. The festival takes place in Stewart Park, nestled in the town’s down-
town core along with various nearby venues for more intimate performances. Everything you could want to go with an afternoon or evening (or both) of great live music is just steps away. Award-winning restaurants will take care of your appetite for great food. A wide variety of retail shops offer everything from antiques to youth-ware. The exceptionally stroll-able downtown and surrounding neighbourhoods will display all manner of heritage design and architecture with lush gardens and grounds. The line-up of talent is not to be missed! From Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, Canada’s reigning couple of Celtic music, to Angelique Francis’ eclectic mix of various musical genres including Blues, Soul, Folk, Jazz, Gospel and Rock, there is something for every musical taste. The Arrogant Worms, The Capital Mermaids, and Miss Emily are just samplings of what this year’s line-up has
in store for your ears. The cost? By donation! The costs of attending just a fraction of the Stewart Park Festival’s artists’ line-up in any commercial venue would be staggering, but at the park it’s a donation request only, thanks to an army of volunteers and great support from the Downtown Heritage BIA, the Town of Perth, and strong local business partnerships and sponsors. It’s held in Stewart Park, one of the most admired, photographed, and artistically depicted landscapes in the country. Sit under the cool shade of mature maples, let the background music of the Tay River and its channels meld with the talent onstage to create a symphony for the ages. Bring a folding chair and you’re all set. Things start off Friday afternoon (July 15th) at 3 pm at the main stage with Fieldblur and the last show starts at 8 pm. The music gets going again at 11:45 am on Sat-
urday and the events kick off again on Sunday at 11:30 am. Pace yourself because when the Park’s tunes end for the evening, the After Hours licensed parties gear up on the Perth Brewery Patio at the Crystal Palace. A $10 bracelet fee gets you astounding entertainment each night. A full schedule can be found at stewartparkfestival.com. Children are welcome! This, as it has always been over its 30 year history, is a family event. There will be crafts from 11-4 on Saturday and Sunday, and Youth workshops from 1-3 on Saturday and Sunday. The Great Duck race in the Tay happens at 2 pm on Sunday. The best part of the Stewart Park Festival is the people. From friendly and helpful local volunteers to welcoming shop-keepers to fellow music fans it’s a place to celebrate and connect, and we all need a lot more of that! See you in the Park from July 15th to the 17th.
Old post office welcomes new ‘speakeasy style’ cocktail lounge Smiths Falls - Chris Must editorial@pdgmedia.ca The history of Smiths Falls’ historic Russell Street post office building comes full circle this month. According to Bruce Linton, the former Tweed CEO who won an award in 2021 for restoring the more than a century-old building, the basement was once home to a secret after-hours bar. Set to open this month in the same location is the “Post Office Cocktail Bar,” which will be operated by bartender, mixologist and entrepreneur Jillian Dagenais. A long-time resident of Ottawa, Dagenais was working at a bar in the city when it was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After an extended stay in British Columbia, Dagenais
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said during a recent interview with local podcaster Matt Connell, she was returning to Ontario when she received a call from her cousin Pat Maloney, owner of Bowie’s Bar & Music Club located next to the post office. Maloney had been approached by Bruce Linton regarding his plan to open a bar in the basement of the restored post office. Dagenais agreed to get involved in the project, and has since purchased a home and moved to Smiths Falls. The Russell Street post office was constructed in 1894, and was designed by Canada’s Chief Dominion Architect, Thomas J. Fuller. The building today consists of the original construction fronting on Russell Street, a later addition at the back, and the clock tower which
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was the final addition. In an interview last year Bruce Linton told the Hometown News that he had been driving through Smiths Falls when he happened to pass by the post office and thought, “it’s the nicest building in town. Why is it in such rough shape?” Linton purchased the building in 2018, and later began a 15-month project to restore it to its former glory. The project required the combined efforts of 75 professionals, most of them locally recruited. When he received the Lieutenant Governor’s Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation in February of 2021, Linton said, “It’s good for the town; it’s good for everyone.” The newly-created website for the Post Office
Cocktail Bar invites guests to “Raise your glass to a simpler time and give a toast to the old cocktail bars of prohibition. Transport back to an era when going out for a drink was not just about the drink, but the company we keep.” In her June 1 interview with Matt Connell, Dagenais said the “speakeasy-style” establishment will feature “classy cocktails” such as old fashioneds, martinis, and some drinks of her own creation. It will be a “classy joint” with the basement’s original limestone bricks as backdrop, and a bar construction from the original bricks used to build the post office’s chimney. “I have a beautiful opportunity to run a business,” Dagenais said. “I think this
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The Post Office Cocktail Bar opens this month in the basement of the historic Fuller post office on Russell Street. Photo credit: Chris Must.
small town is ready for it.” The website states that the cocktail bar will operate Wednesdays through Satur-
days from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. More information can be found at www.thepostofficecocktails.com.
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July 2022
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opinion: Am I the only one? Carrie Wynne
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The Dominion Day Parade in Carleton Place July 1, 1897, when the country was only 30 years old. Photo credit: Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum.
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the safety trap
In Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Coddling of the American Mind, he writes how good intentions and bad ideas are ruining a generation of kids. He said that safetyism, trigger warnings and safe spaces are counter-productive and that stressors are a part of life. We must prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child. Over-protection equals bad consequences. We must give kids the freedom to develop their anti-fragility and when we don’t challenge ourselves physically and mentally, we deteriorate. When children are raised in a culture of safetyism, which teaches them to stay “emotionally safe” while protecting them from every imaginable danger, it may set up a feedback loop: kids become more fragile and less resilient, which signals to adults that they need more protection, which then makes them even more fragile and less resilient. My sister-in-law has parents that come in with their teenager for a
job interview. Last week, a school principal sent home a letter warning parents that their child was about to be offered a free Canadian flag and if they didn’t want to receive one, they should send the attached form back. The Canadian flag is now offensive to some of the powers that be in Ontario’s education systems. It should shock people to know that the ministry of education would also find a way to make math about racism. Perhaps it’s time for the underworked civil servants pushing this agenda to take a bow. Of course if you disagree with the ‘approved’ narrative you are uninformed, uneducated and quite possibly a bigot. So much for having healthy debates. I get an allergic reaction whenever I see someone that is virtue signalling and nothing triggers me more than a false claim of victimhood. This whole idea of helplessness really nauseates me. When did we start raising weak and easily intimidated kids? Am I the only one? When did action, resilience and kicking some butts become offensive? We need to learn how to communicate, stand in
our power, take criticism, learn how to fail, and get back up and manage conflict and expose ourselves to viewpoints that are different from our own. These life skills build on each other until one day you have the confidence to go out into the world and to stay out there. Teen mental health fell off the rail with the advent of social media starting in 2010. It should never be a free for all and experts recommend keeping your kids off social media until after puberty. The adolescent girl has so many issues going on simultaneously. I was uncomfortable in my own skin at this age. I’m just so thankful my parents allowed these growth spurts and did not feel compelled to “fix” me as so many parents do today. Dr Haidt’s advice to any young person is to take charge of your own life and your development because if you don’t social media will take over and so will the older protective generation around you. The opinions stated in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hometown News’ management, staff or writers.
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3
July 2022
community Veggies and volunteers in food bank garden Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca Part of its ‘root’ system can be seen behind the Heritage House Museum at the Community Food Bank garden, some at the library garden, the Legion garden, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and also at the Railway Museum garden. Whenever a helping hand is needed, or some ideas to brighten up a plot of land, count on Horticultural Society volunteers to step forward. This year, around midApril, the Community Food Bank garden was planted. It’s large — 25 by 35 feet. It’s fenced (to keep the bunnies out), plants are already shooting through black matting put down to keep weeds from showing up, and a whole team of gardeners looks after it on an ongoing basis. Just beside this garden is a smaller community garden. The Horticultural Society finds and coordinates volunteers who water and weed, dig and plant, watch and learn, and keep the garden healthy and pest-free.
Starting late September to mid-October and going until the last bean, tomato or squash is handed out, all the fresh produce — “sometimes one or even two boxes a week,” is brought to the Community Food Bank, says Steve Svarckopf. Svarckopf is chief organizer and delegator; Laura Hunter, president of the Horticultural Society, is his right-hand woman. Add volunteers, and many happy gardeners to this twosome, and the Horticultural Society has become an inimitable team in the Town. Hunter says of the garden behind the Heritage House that “…everything we grow goes to The Community Food Bank.” Svarckopf adds that everything for the garden was donated, most of the plants were grown from seeds, and volunteers did the rest. He lists what’s there: 30 tomato plants, 20 pepper plants, 20 cucumber plants, a row of yellow and green beans, five zucchini, and five butternut squash. While Town people vol-
unteer to dig, plant, grow and reap, other businesses contribute goods — the landscaping cloth was donated, and Peavey Mart (which used to be TSC) gave fertilizer and bone meal (about $100 worth of donation, says Svarckopf). He remembers another — GIM gave him steel T-posts which he cut in half and put in the garden corners which help support the fencing to keep the rabbits out. “Last year the rabbits cleaned the peas right out,” Hunter remembers with some exasperation. But Svarckopf knows a trick or two to keep the rabbits away. “I don’t harm them, but they don’t come near my plants,” he says with a glint in his eye. “Coyote urine from the hunting store. I spray it on with a spray bottle. They take one whiff and they won’t come near.” Hunter adds that Plant Skydd, which you can get at Canadian Tire, is her method. Svarckopf also has a tried and proven method of keep-
Submerged tree removed from basin Smiths Falls - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca So where did it go? Alan Smollett doesn’t know. He’s the technical service co-ordinator in charge of the navigation channel from Ottawa to Kingston along the Rideau. He says Parks Canada was notified May 11 by the Town of Smiths Falls about a large partially submerged tree in the basin between the combined and detached locks. Even though the channel officially opened May 20, and Le Boat docks in that basin, his “water foreman deemed [the basin] safe” for navigation until it could be removed. It was pulled out May 26 “a few days after the tornado” in the Ottawa area. His
crew took a 14-foot punt out to the tree, chained it, pulled it to shore, and lifted it to the embankment with a small mobile crane. “In a few days we went to get it,” he adds “…and it was gone. It’s a mystery.” “We don’t know where it came from — maybe Poonamalie, maybe the detached lock…” he muses, adding a bit of background that sometimes submerged trees stay underwater for a long, long time before popping up. Smollett has been with Parks Canada for 15 years, and commands two crews on workboats in the canal; they are always on the water “fixing things and making sure they operate in a safe manner.” So when his water foreman deemed it navigationally safe to leave the tree a
Submerged tree was finally dragged to shore by Parks Canada, cut up and taken to a compost site by Smiths Falls crew. Photo credit: T. Watkiss.
few days before pulling it out, they left it. With 202 km of canal to watch over, at that moment there were other, more pressing, needs. But when they got back to it, it had disappeared. “Who got it? What did they do with it,” Smollett wonders. Art Manhire knows. He’s Director of Community Services in Smiths Falls. “My staff cut it up and took it to the compost site,” he says.
ing raccoons away which doesn’t involve shooting them…you’ll have to ask him. So, at this moment, Svarckopf has a list of eight volunteers who are going to keep the garden watered over the next 16 weeks — that’s two weeks per volunteer. But he adds if he can find more volunteers so each volunteer will only have to water one week, that would be better. He suggests if high schoolers want to work off some of the volunteer hours they need to graduate, this would be a good way of doing it. Sure, they’re not all going to be horticulturalists but even if they’re “half interested, they can pick up community hours, help, and learn something.” And it’s Smiths Falls Heritage House that will sign their papers. It’s clear, with all this on the go, the Horticultural Society will always encourage new members to join; the deal is $10 per person, $15 per family for the year. The membership runs from February to June with the summer off, meetings start again in September and run through November. Pre-pandemic there were 75 members. That dropped to 39 over the last two years but numbers are on the upswing again.
Steve Svarckopf and Laura Hunter stand just outside the Food Bank garden behind Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum. Photo credit: Sally Smith.
Svarckopf adds there’s a photo contest, prizes, great speakers, a flower arranging show which is an “artistic outlet” that Hunter likes — especially the red ribbons, she says laughing, adding she’d take “any ribbon…or no ribbon at all.” Some garden tours have already been booked. When will the harvest start this fall? “We reap as it ripens,” Hunter says, so when late September, mid-October rolls around, set out to help harvest the Food Bank garden behind the Heritage House Museum.
They need volunteers, you’ll make new friends and it’s a good way to stay active before winter snow drives us inside. To join, or volunteer, at the Horticultural Society, email membership co-ordinator Debra at bellevue. debra0@gmail.com. For information about all things horticultural, contact Laura Hunter at laurahunter611@ gmail.com, call her at 613485-4206, and check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ sfHorticulturalSociety/.
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Help for Veterans outlined at Summer Salute Regional - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca For those veterans who couldn’t make it to the Summer Salute at the end of June at Pierce’s Corners, here’s the lowdown. Dan Lyle laid it out between sets of foot-stomping music provided by Doug and Pam Champagne. He filled the afternoon crowd in on what Veterans’ Services can do. And it can do a lot… If you need a drive, for instance, call Wheels for the Wise to register, at 613-7099473; it’s a service provider for Veterans Affairs Canada and provides free transportation to veterans who need to get to medical appointments for their “pension-related conditions”. Or, if there’s a change in health care needs or a question about the Veterans’ Independence Program, call 1-866-522-2122. For more information about the Veterans’ Independence Pro-
Vets Jim Goodwin, Ian Petrie, Duncan MacGibbon, Dan Lyle, Gerry Levesque and Ken Langevin gather for a quick picture at the Summer Salute. Photo credit: Sally Smith.
gram head online to www. veterans.gc.ca . Better yet, register for My VAC Account at www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/e_services . Some of the services offered include groundskeeping such as: tilling, snow removal, snow and ice removal from roofs, cleaning out eavestroughs, trimming hedges, sweeping pathways, and blocking, splitting and stacking firewood. Call, or
go online, to see conditions applied to these services. In the home, some of the services included are: laundry, making and changing beds, vacuuming, dusting, bathroom cleaning, meal preparation, washing and changing windows, errand services to purchase food. Lyle says any veteran can go to, or call, a nearby Legion where a veteran can help. Smiths Falls Legion is
613-283-2690. Perth Legion is 613267-4400. Kemptville Legion is 613-258-5734. He adds the hope is to keep veterans in their own homes as long as possible by providing the help they need. And finally, he offers his own number if veterans still find it difficult getting access to programs or help. Call Dan Lyle at 613-828-8879.
4
July 2022
lifestyle Lanark County Support group initiates bereavement evenings curious, present and a witness to their story Regional - Sally Smith editorial@pdgmedia.ca It was just an inkling of an idea at first, Trish Warren says; there was a bit of money, a group of trained and interested women and men… and there was a need. The small group, centred in Perth, was already volunteering through Community Home Support in Lanark County and helped with both a day hospice and a dining program. Trish and many of the others were trained already, so as they talked, the idea fleshed out, and with lots of to-ing and fro-ing, Bereavement Support Lanark County (BSLC) became a reality…”a way to simply walk with people who are walking the journey. “It’s a hard one to do alone,” Trish remembers. “Our goal is to walk with those who want to share that journey,” she adds. “It’s a lovely, rewarding thing to do.” And to help in the healing of having lost a wife, brother, friend, she adds, you have to be “curious, present and willing to listen. “We are the rememberers…” The 10 or 12 who volunteer with the small, newly formed Bereavement Support group are a bit of a motley crew, Trish laughs. All of them have training and now they’re working to formally pull the group together as independent facilitators. Eventually they will invite others to join but at the moment the learning curve is steep, a bit breath-taking and a process of figuring out what works and what doesn’t. For instance, Trish explains, “how do we ensure when we bring new people in that they recognize they are not grief coun-
sellors offering advice… they are just walking with someone.” The group has a great cache of grief knowledge between them; they’ve learned a lot…what it is, how it affects people, how to help. Often, when they are asked questions about themselves, they know to “bring it right back” to the asker. Trish adds that some people don’t deal with their grief for years, while others deal with it right away. However long, the bereavement group is there to help “tell their stories, say their names, keep their memories alive. “There’s a huge, huge need, right now. People have lost so much over the last two years.” And support doesn’t ever stop. People stay with a group “until they don’t want to stay anymore.” Trish tells the story about starting a grief check-in group at the beginning of Covid. “It went on throughout Covid. We’d meet in the park, everywhere.” It eventually became a friendship circle, she says, and the group, today, continues to meet every Thursday. Some of Trish’s thoughts on grief and bereavement: “If you’ve loved, you’ll grieve. Grieving alone is hard. Feeling alone when you’re grieving is hard. If you’re able to share it, it’s easier, and it is how you learn to reconcile your grief, to move forward in your life, and not leave your loved one behind, not close the door. “It’s finding a way to let them continue to live through you. “You can do that by companioning one-onone, or in groups, or by walking. We help you do that in a safe way. We genuinely share stories about
your loved one, about you, about what you want. We help to find those things. “We are just someone walking with you on your journey so you’re not walking alone.” She also tells stories about how people have done this. Someone, wanting to remember, decided on pencils. “What if I put her name on pencils…they could give out pencils at school…kids would say her name.” Another loved baseball: “Baseball was important. We could go to a game, donate bats to a children’s charity…” One man released butterflies with his kids, and planted trees. Others chose favourite wines to drink at a Celebration of Life, and for one woman, who had collected 100 scarves, it was giving everyone one of her scarves. “It’s about the person, not the ceremony,” Trish says. “I watch them feel lighter. I ask them to tell me more…and people are passionate about their stories. They just tell you. “It’s really rewarding.” This summer will be a bit different for the fledgling group, however. While the members have worked with clients both one-onone, and in a closed-group setting, this July and August the Bereavement Support group is initiating open bereavement evenings. “People can just show up.” The evening is free of charge. Trish’s wish is that once people know about the open bereavement sessions, they’ll come. “We hope to be overwhelmed,” she adds, with a bit of a grin. The sessions have started already but there are more.
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On Thursday night, July 7 in Smiths Falls at Lannin Funeral Home, 32 Main St. E from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., the session is Our Stories: Grief and the Need to Mourn. On July 28 at Lannin Funeral Home (address and time same as above), the session is Leaning into Our Grief. On August 18 at Lannin Funeral Home (address and time same as above), the session is Memorializing Our Loved Ones. On July 12 at Barker Funeral Home in Carleton Place, 19 MacArthur Ave. from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., the session is Leaning into Our Grief; and on August 2 at Barker Funeral Home (address and time as above), the session is Memorializing Our Loved Ones. On July 20 at Perth Public Library, 30 Herriott St. from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., the session is Leaning into Our Grief; and on August 10 at Perth Public Library (address and time as above), the session is Memorializing Our Loved Ones.
Trish Warren describes open bereavement sessions with Bereavement Support Lanark County. Photo credit: Sally Smith.
Facilitators are Joyce Ford, Rita Jackson, Patti Koeslag, Suzanne Ritchie and Trish Warren. Trish is also facilitating a walking group which will meet on Mondays, weekly, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Farmer’s Market location, 7 Beckwith St. Carleton Place. For more information go to bereavementslc@gmail. com for email; www.face-
book.com/bereavementslc for Facebook information, and www.bereavementsupportlanarkcounty.weebly. com for the website. “The work of grief is not about getting it done and saying goodbye. It’s about finding ways to connect with your loved one in a meaningful way, to reconcile, to internalize, and honour them.”
July 2022
5
Food & Drink
Beer, Wine and Spirits
Ashton Brewing Company
Brian Preston
The Travelling Sommelier brianpreston@hotmail.com
A sampling of beers at Ashton Brewing Co. Photo credit: Brian Preston.
The Hodgins family has owned the Pub and Restaurant (collocated) for many years and I can remember being there in the early days when one of their patrons gave them a British taxi which, when I was in Britain, found to be so easy to get into with the big side door and put your suitcase on the flat floor, so civilized! Situated on the banks of the Jock River, the Hodgins joined with renowned brewmaster and their great friend, Lorne Hart (remember his Pumpkin Ale from Hart Brewery in Carleton Place?), to take the pub experience to the next level by developing Ashton Brewery on site at The Old Ashton Mill. Eric Dubuc, the Brewmaster, took me for a short tour through the brewery with the steam and aromas coming off the fermentation mash while another member of the staff was emptying a huge vat of IPA ready for bottling. They do open vesselled fermentation which originated in the UK and is rare these days. They have many brews on offer now in addition to the originals. Rather than try them all which would require that they find me a room for the night rather than try to drive home, I did a Sampler of 4 beers in the Pub with friends for lunch (which was fabulous – I ordered the Herb and Garlic Haddock on a bed of seasoned rice with spring vegetables). Now to the tastings. I focused on seasonal beers as we move from spring to summer: IPA: A British style IPA in a lighter style embracing a refined approach to hops for today's India Pale Ale with the goal to brew a flavourful pint with all the great subtleties this style of beer can offer.
Balance is the key to this popular blend and a great start to the other beers. ABV 5% SRM 7 IBU 37 Blueberry Wheat: This is one of their most popular seasonal beers, and two of my guests independently chose this one and were not disappointed. With a subtle blueberry aroma and flavour that lends itself perfectly to this easy drinking ale, it went perfectly with our dishes. Golden copper colour with tiny mousse bubbles on the palate giving off pleasing light blueberry aromas. Refreshing light ale. ABV 5% SRM 4 IBU 9 Cream Ale: Ashton's twist on the popular Irish Kilkenny version is not as full bodied as they use lager malts and hops to brew this refreshing light ale. This full golden coloured, clean and crisp brew offers creamy mousse on the palate and subtle hints of caramel and a hue of pleasing bitter undertones. ABV 5% SRM 5 IBU 15 Apple Raspberry Sour Ale: Sour beer has an intentionally acidic, tart, or sour taste as opposed to the bitter or sweet flavors found in standard ales and lagers. Traditional sour beer styles include Belgian lambics, gueuze and Flanders red ale, and German gose and Berliner Weisse. A sour beer is one that has been deliberately brewed to achieve high levels of acidity. Ashton’s is a mild version, pale golden colour, apple aroma and apple raspberry on the palate where the sour comes in leading to a clean finish. Their creativity never ends and the following beers are also favourites in the fall and winter months. Blackstone Ale: This is a special beer with a nice subtle citrus finish, one that everyone will enjoy! ABV 5% SRM 5 IBU 21 Amber: This is their flagship beer and was their first
creation continuing to be their most popular beer. An excellent introduction to the craft beer world, Ashton's Amber Ale has subtle flavours that will appeal to every palate. This pint boasts caramel notes, hoppy aromas and a clean finish. ABV 5% SRM 9 IBU 28 Harvest Brown: With subtle hints of caramel, coffee and chocolate, this 5% full bodied ale punches above its weight class. Initially intended to be offered seasonally, the popularity and warmth of this brew has made it an Ashton staple. ABV 5% SRM 11 IBU 16 Session Ale: Inspired by light crisp ales, this refreshing Session ale has enough character to stand on its own and rival other light and full strength beers; a great pint to enjoy year round. ABV 4% SRM 4 IBU 13 Black IPA: Ashton’s twist on the standard IPA, they add black malt to the grain mix and combine that with floral and piney hops to create a beer that has a strong malt body, with a hint of caramel notes and an impressive grapefruit finish. Available Dec. 1 - Feb. 28 ABV 5.5% SRM 33 IBU 60 Coffee Porter: CC's coffee. The bean masters from Richmond, Ontario collaborate on this fine brew. A rich, dark porter with the aroma and comfort of coffee. More effervescent than traditional porters, this brew is sure to warm up even the coldest days. Available Jan. 15 - Mar. 31 ABV 5% SRM 25 IBU 35 Check out their website to see the many pubs with their beers on tap all over Eastern Ontario and Ottawa, and you can order online for delivery: www.ashtonbrewingcompany.com Ashton Pub and Ashton Brewing Co – 113 Old Mill Rd, Ashton – 1-613-257-4423
Let's Eat
Brian Turner
The Station County Kitchen and Eatery: taking the road less travelled to find a treasure
The Station boasts a shaded patio. Photo credit: Brian Turner.
Forget any preconceptions you might have about a diner located in a predominantly commercial/industrial neighbourhood. The Station Country Kitchen and Eatery at 50 Lorne Street in Smiths Falls may be located smack dab in the middle of an employment lands sector, but it’s so much more than just a lunch-counter for area employees. Erin Duthie, one of the owners explains that “The Station was born from the idea of bringing good quality food that is prepared with simple techniques and wholesome flavours. It is important for us that our customers feel comfortable and relaxed. We want this to be their home away from home.” For a facility that only opened a few weeks back, they skipped on opening-day snags and everything is running as smoothly as their housemade Hollandaise sauce. The space, with plenty of counter and table seating, is welcoming with a great view of the open kitchen. A tree-shaded patio lets diners enjoy our beautiful late spring and summer weather. Unlike other restaurants serving primarily business areas, the Station is open late
for dinners on Fridays and Saturdays and they open early at 6 am during the week for breakfasts you don’t want to miss. And they’re also open Sundays for memorable weekend brunches. Just about everything on their expansive menu is house-made from scratch, including some irresistible baked treats and soups. Burgers are cooked the only way burgers should be cooked; smashed style on a flat-top and they have a rare find at any diner: lamb burger specials. Early fans of the Station have voted strongly for the Pickle Chicken Sandwich. With this creation, they soak the chicken first in pickle brine before deep-frying it to perfection and then serving it with a medium hotsauce, aioli, and what else but mounds of pickles. Their Ashton Brewing Co. amber craft-beer battered fish has also become a menu hit. But like the diner itself, the menus have some hidden gems you’d likely not expect such as a great salad selection and sesame noodle bowl will also let you know this is no ordinary diner. Their breakfasts alone are great reasons to stop by. On my recent visit I tried their
express plate with eggs, sausage, homefries, and fruit and it was hot, ready, and perfect in quick order. They also have corned-beef hash, breakfast burgers and poutine, breakfast bowls, and Lanark County flapjacks. Children are more than welcome at The Station; in fact they’ve invested in toys and sports-balls to keep everyone entertained. For a new facility producing some unheard of quality dishes, The Station is all about connecting with their customers. The amazing team working there are artists at making regular diners out of first-time visitors. They’re open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6 am to 2 pm, till 8 pm on Fridays, 7 am to 8 pm on Saturdays and 7 am to 2 pm on Sundays. After their Grand Opening on July 9 they will be opening 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch and open for dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday Catering is available and they’re fully licensed by the LLBO. The diner is fully accessible with plenty of parking and you can reach them at 613-283-2681. A stop at The Station Country Kitchen and Eatery will make your journey worthwhile.
6
July 2022
culture Smiths Falls History & Mystery Anna Gould: Heiress to a fortune by Ted Outerbridge
In 1861, fourteen-year-old Anna Marie Gould (18471895) became heiress to William Simpson, the largest landowner in Smiths Falls. At the age of seventeen, she inherited a portion of her father’s (Jason Gould’s) fortune which included a substantial amount of Smiths Falls property. Anna was a very wealthy woman when she married Postmaster, and later Mayor of Smiths Falls, Duncan Alexander Fergusson (18431914), on July 22, 1875. Duncan was born in the township of Montague, county of Lanark on July 15, 1843. In 1869, at the age of twenty-six with a grammar school education, he launched his business in Smiths Falls as the senior member of the mercantile firm of Fergusson & Gilroy. Within three years, his offices were relocated to what Toronto’s The Globe newspaper described as “the largest and most pretentious business structure of the town”. The Fergusson and St. Francis Block was erected in two installments: the southern Fergusson portion in 1872 and the northern St. Francis section in 1876. The Globe’s article mentions that “it was built of blue limestone, faced with white freestone, two and a half stories high with iron roof, and has a frontage of 120 feet on Beckwith, and 45 feet on William Street. The lower storey
of the entire block is devoted to mercantile purposes, with the exception of the post office, which occupies 20 x 45 feet of the Fergusson section. The upper storey is occupied mainly by secret societies as lodge rooms. In the southern, or Fergusson section are the Loyal Orange Lodge, the Orange Young Britons’ Lodge and Garnet Lodge Ancient Order of United Workmen…” 1875 was a big year for Duncan. He was appointed Postmaster of Smiths Falls and married Anna Marie Gould. Over the next eleven years, they would have five children: Laura, John Beckwith, Dr. Rosslyn Montague, William Simpson, and James Henry. Evidence of Anna’s wealth is apparent in the massive and spectacular white brick house they built in the late 1870s or early 1880s. The property is located at 30 Mill Street, (later Maple Avenue) corner of Russell, in Smiths Falls. The historian Glenn Lockwood describes it as “full-blown late Victorian whimsy”. Duncan began his 40-year reign as Postmaster working out of the Fergusson and St. Francis Block, where he was assisted by his brother. After two years, he relinquished his commercial pursuits and devoted himself exclusively to his official duties. He was a member of the school board for several years and represented Dufferin ward in the town council for two terms. Duncan was the first president of the Smiths Falls Board of Trade. The organization still operates today as the Smiths Falls Chamber of Commerce, although the name was changed based on the suggestion of his son, Dr.
ted@tedouterbridge.com
Ferguson Block. Photo credit: Ted Outerbridge
Ross Fergusson. The relationships he built as a postmaster, combined with his wife Anna’s wealth, led him to become elected Mayor in 1887. He held this position for three consecutive terms. While Duncan was campaigning against Ogle Carss for the position of Mayor, he offered strong support for the temperance movement. Both newspapers ran regular temperance columns at the time. The anti-drink women later learned to their shock and dismay that, on one occasion, Mayor Fergusson had failed to greet members of the Dairyman Association because he was too intoxicated, or not “presentable”, in his own words. Duncan was not the only Smiths Falls politician who appealed to the growing temperance lobby, while ignoring the illegal smuggling and selling of liquor that went on. Nor was he the first politician to indulge in the occasional tipple while touting the virtues of sobriety. An 1858 copy of the “The Municipal Manual" inscribed with “Municipality of the Village of Smiths Falls, April 27th, 1866” out-
lines the duties of a mayor at the time. The manual makes it clear that the “Heads” of all municipal councils were deemed “ex officio Justices of the Peace” for the purposes of enforcing all local municipal by-laws. In addition, the Council of any Town and City were required to “establish therein a Police Office” where in the absence of a Police Magistrate the Mayor of a Town or City “... shall attend such police office daily for the disposal of the business brought before him as a Justice of the Peace....”. Evidence of this can be found in numerous press clippings, including an 1887 edition of The Kingston Whig-Standard which wrote that “A man by the name of McGlade was fined $5 plus costs for striking one of the Salvation Army Officers by Mayor Fergusson”. On May 2, 1888, the Ferguson family were almost asphyxiated by coal gas, according to the The Kingston Whig-Standard. Shortly after rising, the domestic servant collapsed, as did Anna. The three children were rendered unconscious as well. Fortunately, Dun-
Anna Gould. Photo credit: Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum
can was able to “overcome the effects of the poison and hurried for assistance.” Anna and Duncan Fergusson owned a wealth of Smiths Falls property, and on July 7, 1891, they sold lot 5 and 42 on the West side of Brockville Street in Block F to architect George Thomas Martin for $300. Martin designed the Keyhole House and had it built at this location by 1893. Anna died on May 5, 1895, at the age of 47. Average life expectancy at the time was 50. Duncan died at his home of pneumonia at the age of 71, on May 8, 1914. He was survived by three sons and a daughter. The funeral was largely attended and took
place from his residence on Church Street; he was buried at Hillcrest Cemetery. In November 1971, a faulty light fixture caused a fire which destroyed most of the magnificent Fergusson and St. Francis Block on Beckwith Street where Duncan had operated the town post office. A portion of the original façade remains where Gemmell’s Flowers is currently located. Ted & Marion Outerbridge are currently restoring a Smiths Falls heritage home built in 1893. They are also being swept away by local history & mystery. You can follow them at on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @thekeyholehouse or email ted@tedouterbridge.com.
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7
July 2022
culture
Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival takes the stage Aug. 12
The last Puppets Up! Festival took place in 2016. Photo credit: Brent Eades
The beloved weekend festival featuring the most innovative puppetry from around the world is back after a 5-year hiatus. The Puppets Up! Festival, beginning Friday August 12 against the beautiful backdrop of Almonte, will feature a variety of entertainment for children and families, as well as three special performances for adult eyes only. This unique grass-roots festival drew in thousands from across the country in its initial run from 2005 – 2016. Due to a lack of funding and support, the Puppets Up! Festival closed the curtain on a high note in 2016, but some very dedicated people have been working hard behind the scenes to bring the magic back to the streets of Almonte for 2022. Festival Director Jane Torrance stated in an interview with Hometown News that the decision to bring back the festival came as a result of wanting to bring joy and celebration back to the community following the Covid-19 pandemic. Torrance, who was a former volunteer for Puppets Up!, shared with us that when considering what they could do to bring back encouragement to the businesses and community, she was reminded of when she felt the best being in Almonte. “I asked myself, when
have I felt the best being in Almonte? It was during Puppets Up!” A conversation between Torrance, Noreen Young, and members of the Town of Almonte, sparked the reality of reestablishing the wellloved festival. Visionary puppeteer Noreen Young was elated to be part of the return of the festival as this year’s Artistic Director. The festival has found a new home in the Alameda Festival Plaza and the Old Town Hall due to its former location currently being under construction. Puppets Up! will feature fun for the whole family by offering performances from old friends such as The Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers, Tanglewood Marionettes and Joshua Holden, and is excited to introduce new troupes and special guests. There will also be a variety of street entertainment, special adults-only cabarets, street vendors, as well as a kids’ craft tent where children can create their very own puppets. Saturday and Sunday will be special days to keep a watch out for the puppet parade happening at 1:45 p.m. The Puppets Up! Festival couldn’t happen without its hard-working group of dedicated volunteers, and they are still on the lookout for more. "It's a great way to meet new people and celebrate all that Almonte has
to offer," says Kris Riendeau, Puppets Up's volunteer coordinator. "And we simply couldn't put this festival on without the support of our volunteers. It's such a unique experience for everyone!" Another exciting feat for the 2022 festival is their recently awarded grant of $75,000 from Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization through FedDev Ontario to help bring visitors to Mississippi Mills this summer. As quoted from a recent press release by the Puppets Up! Festival team: “The tourism sector is vital to the economy and jobs in Mississippi Mills and across Lanark County and after a hiatus the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival is coming back as part of the community’s efforts to get people back into the streets of Almonte.” “Puppets Up! Has a long history of bringing tourists to Almonte and the benefit is felt all across Mississippi Mills and, indeed, across all of Lanark County! This funding will help us expand our reach and really showcase everything that this corner of Eastern Ontario has to offer!” -Jane Torrance, Executive Director, Puppets Up! For ticket information and the full festival schedule for the weekend of August 12th – August 14th visit: www.puppetsup.com
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